


Ground Control to Commander Shepard

by citizenblue



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-06
Updated: 2016-06-06
Packaged: 2018-07-12 18:42:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,893
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7118038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/citizenblue/pseuds/citizenblue
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A short story exploring the New Game Plus concept:</p><p>Shortly after the Crucible activates, the Catalyst approaches Liara and offers her one last choice.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Ground Control to Commander Shepard

The Citadel opened, its petals peeling back as it erupted in a flash of light that would come to engulf the entire galaxy, the blast of energy pulsing through mass relay after mass relay. In that moment, the galaxy became dark. Snuffed. Squelched.

Doctor Liara T'Soni stood alone in the Normandy's wreckage.

The Crucible's blast had finally caught up to them. EDI had collapsed. The Normandy had become a husk. Flight Lieutenant Jeff Moreau had been left without a single course of action.

Liara did not know whether to sit or stand. It felt as though she could do neither. Garrus and Ashley and the others, despite themselves, continued to hold onto the hope that Commander Shepard had somehow survived because hadn't she always come out on top? Had Shepard ever met insurmountable odds she could not conquer?

But Liara knew, in her heart of hearts, that Shepard had died.

She had known since the moment Shepard had forced Ashley to pull her back on to the Normandy. She had known since the moment Shepard had allowed those bittersweet words leave her lips; “ _No matter what happens to me… You mean everything to me, Liara. You always will._ ”

And Liara had known what Shepard had truly meant to say; “ _I can't keep my promise. Not this time. I'm sorry_.”

Liara still did not know whether to sit or stand.

The air shivered as a little boy appeared before her.

“Doctor T'soni,” it said. “There is not much time.”

“What are you?”

“I am the Catalyst. I am this galaxy's last remnant of Reaper technology. But as I said: there is not much time. I am here to give you a choice.”

“I… I do not understand.”

“You have met our creators. Leviathan. You know then that our purpose was to solve the organic-synthetic dilemma. You are also a scientist. You understand that in order to solve a problem, experiments must be conducted.”

“The cycles…”

“Yes and no. We have long since learned it is not enough to simply begin each cycle anew. Each set of species is unique. They shape and change the galaxy in unpredictable ways. To combat this problem, we have learned to create instances in time and space.”

“You replay cycles over and over, altering variables.”

“We only do so with… the more distinguished cycles. It is how your Shepard knew to go to you first on Therum. Sometimes past memories linger. An unintended side effect. Unintended side effects seem to be a common phenomenon among organics.”

“Why are you here?”

“Observing your Shepard has taught us… something new. We have decided we will reset time only once more.” The Catalyst glanced around, as though it could _see_ the fabric of the galaxy. “We are running out of time. We can reset this cycle, Doctor T'soni, and we will preserve your memories.”

Liara stared down at the Catalyst, filled with bitterness. “For what purpose? To satisfy one last scientific whim?”

“We would allow you to return to her. Do our intentions truly matter?” The little boy began to shiver, the code beginning to fade into nothingness. “Just know this. You will not be able to save her. Time will _always_ run its course. But as I said. Your Shepard taught us something new: sometimes the insignificant choices matter most.

“Will you go back, Doctor T'soni?”

“ _Do it_.”

* * *

 

At first, Liara had ignored the Catalyst's warning. When Alchera loomed ahead, she warned Shepard of the Collector threat. She begged Shepard to believe her, to trust in her, and though, for a moment she thought Shepard would not, the Normandy changed course.

But the Catalyst's words had rung true.

The Collectors appeared above Sarait in the Shrike Abyssal.

The Normandy, regardless, had been cleaved into the pieces, and Commander Shepard had perished with her ship.

She had tried, even, to save Feron, but for every alteration she made, more complications appeared. It became readily apparent that there was nothing Liara could do but deliver Shepard's body to Cerberus and patiently wait in spartan Ilos office.

And Shepard _did_ return, same as ever, Jack and Grunt by her side.

Despite herself, she reached her fingers through Time once more:

“Take me with you,” she said, before Shepard could even greet her. “I'll go with you to the Collector base.”

But Shepard had staunchly refused. “No. Liara, it's a suicide mission. I can't let you do that. Even for me.”

Shepard left, but at least this time she knew. This time she knew that Liara had been willing to go with her, and it was then that Liara understood what the Catalyst had said:

Sometimes the insignificant choices matter most.

She would find the Shadow Broker. Become him. She would use the vast wealth of information to locate the Catalyst's blueprints. She would join Shepard once more, and they would live their days together through the rage of a galactic war.

“We'll grow old together,” Shepard had said, as though the idea wasn't completely preposterous. “And we'll have lots of little blue children.”

 _I'll find a way_ , Liara thought.

A future.

We can have this.

* * *

 

They raced towards the beacon. Towards the Citadel. Dread gripped Liara's heart; she knew that time had begun to run short. She had even decided to run, this time, a few meters to the right, holding on to that ridiculous shred of hope that this choice, somehow, would matter.

As expected, the truck spiraled toward her regardless, and it was all Liara could do but leap towards her side, wincing as the sharp metal punctured the skin below her ribs.

Ashely tried to pull her back.

Shepard opened her lips once more. “No matter what happens to me… You mean everything to me, Liara. You always will.”

Shepard turned to leave, running again towards the dark.

No.

Not this time.

This choice would _matter_.

She pushed Ashley back with biotics. She tumbled back down to the Earth before any one could stop her. The Normandy had already begun its ascent and it was too late now to return for the asari scientist. Liara _ran_.

When she opened her eyes, she caught glimpse of a spidery green leg – _the Keepers_.

She pressed a finger to her ear; “Shepard? Are you there? Can you hear me?”

“Liara! What…? How did you get here?”

“ _I am yours_ ,” Liara said, and for the first time since she had said those words all those years ago, she felt happiness invade her heart. “You do not get to decide when or how I choose to follow you.”

Shepard laughed weakly over the comms. “I suppose I should know better by now.”

“Where are you?”

“No part of the Citadel I've ever seen,” she said. “The walls are moving here, and… There's a central chamber up ahead. I'll meet you there.”

“Shepard, wait!”

But the link had already shutdown. _By the Goddess, she is incorrigible as ever_.

She limped past the impassive Keepers and through the mass of corpses, trying her best not to gag with the smell. _Get to Shepard_ , she thought. _That's all that matters right now_. She ignored the pain that had begun to echo through her torso.

She found Shepard slumped over, staring at the body of the Illusive Man.

For a moment, she had nearly thought Shepard had already died.

“Took you long enough,” she said, and the smile was evident in her voice.

Liara fell to her side, clutching at her wound. “Someone has to keep you waiting.”

“It's hard to believe what's happening down there,” Shepard said, gesturing towards the surface of the Earth. “It's beautiful, isn't it?”

“It's perfect,” Liara said, leaning her head in towards her commander. With the last shreds of her energy, she pressed their foreheads together.

“What are you doing?”

“Making one last choice that truly matters,” she whispered, and as darkness swirled over her eyes, she caught a glimpse of the Catalyst, up above, nodding as a red energy began to ripple through the Crucible.

_A dangerous meld. We could get lost in here._

_What do you mean?_

_Years pass by in a single minute. Like a dream. We could lose ourselves in here, in this meld, but that hardly matters now, does it?_

_No. I guess, it doesn't._

_Where do you want to go?_

_Anywhere, as long as its with you._

_That's not an answer, Shepard._

_Have you ever been to New Mexico?_

_No, I can't say that I have._

_I asked your father for your hand in marriage._

_Oh? And what did she say?_

_She told me that I'm an anthropocentric bag of dicks. And then she told me to fuck off. I'm going to go ahead and take that as a yes._

_You haven't even asked me yet, Shepard._

_Surprise?_

_Of course, I'll marry you._

_Liara, I know you like your intel, but it's about time we settle on a house._

_What about this one?_

_London? Really?_

_The reconstruction efforts have proceeded admirably. It's… Anderson's family plot. He has no surviving relatives, and… I think you'll love it there._

_Benezia! What in sweet hell are you doing? Liara, quick. I think she needs changing._

_It's your turn._

_It's always my turn._

_I love that you think that._

_The Council called today. They want me to fill the human seat. I hung up on them for old time's sake._

_They never seem to learn, do they?_

_Well, it was a first for the Salarian councilor. And I think Councilor Tevos just misses the sound of the dialtone._

_You're not bored here?_

_Don't be ridiculous. I'm an old woman, Liara. I'd rather be here with you._

_I know. I just like to hear you say it out loud._

Shepard looks out into the farmland with tired eyes. In the distance, Benezia lifts her sisters into the air in a startling display of her biotics. Shepard smiles, and she smiles yet even as she huffs and struggles to Liara's side, her joints creaking as she settles down on the bench beside her bondmate.

“We did it. We grew old together and had lots of little blue children.” Her smile becomes wistful. “This isn't real, is it? It's just that… It's been so long.”

“It's real enough,” Liara says.

A paintball lands smack in the middle of Benezia's forehead, whipping past her barriers. Her youngest sister laughs before frantically beginning her soon-to-be-fruitless escape.

Shepard entwines her fingers with Liara's. “You're right.” A long slow deep intake of breath; “I finally get to just… sit.”

“I'm glad that we got lost out here.”

“Me too,” Shepard says as she glances towards the horizon. “The stars look different today. It's ending.”

Above them, the sky flashes with a familiar cybernetic red. The colors dance in the air, and they might have very well mistaken the blends and swirls for a sunset.

“Yes,” Liara admits.

“But it's been good. Real good. The best.”

“Last time you left without me,” Liara says, and Shepard pretends to know that means. “This time, I thought I could come along for the ride.”

Her hand tightens around Shepard's and she runs her thumb across wrinkled skin. As the sunset quietly dances above them one last time, Liara T'Soni smiles.

 

_Here we are, floating in a tin can far above the moon. Planet Earth is blue, and there's nothing we can do…_


End file.
